DLTK's Fairy Tales Activities
The Little Mermaid
Hans Christian Andersen was a storyteller and poet who lived in Denmark from April 2, 1805 - August 5, 1875. His most famous works include such fairy tales as The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling and Thumbellina. A small bronze statue of the Little Mermaid was created by Edvard Erikson and still sits in the water in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Little Mermaid has been adapted and retold a number of times, including the 1989 animated film by Disney. The story on the website follows the original Hans Christian Andersen version.
When the Disney version of the story came out I was SO disappointed. The original version was a childhood favourite of mine -- I loved the message -- and it was lost. Hans Christian Andersen's tale gave a message that should be taught to every little girl:
Sometimes you don't get the handsome prince. Sometimes another girl gets him -- she isn't evil -- she's a lonely princess looking for love just like you. And when you aren't the one the prince chooses, you can STILL live happily ever after!
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Read, Listen or Print the story or, Read or Print the story all on one page |
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Crafts to go with the story: |
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Little Mermaid Toilet Paper Roll Craft Age 3+ |
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Sea Witch Toilet Paper Roll Craft Age 3+ |